136 ROBERT D. VAN VALIN, JR.
verbs in both cores are atransitive, as in (119b), the dummy it appears in the
pivot slot in the matrix core.
Linking from syntax to semantics is somewhat simpler than in the
believe cases. The single argument of the matrix core is identified only as a
macrorole, just as in Figure 42 with try. The linked core is interpreted as in
all other linkings. When step 3 arrives, the macrorole argument in the
matrix core cannot be linked with an argument position in the matrix LS,
because it is specified as [—MR] in its lexical entry; hence, the CC requires
that it be linked to an argument position in the embedded LS, and there is
in fact an open argument position in the embedded LS. This is illustrated in
Figure 48.
Sentences like (119b) with a dummy pivot-filler it present an interest
ing problem, as it can be a true core argument of the verb, as in it seems to
be running smoothly now (where it refers to a machine, for example), or a
dummy. The simplest solution is to follow the pattern in Figure 48: assume
that it is a macrorole, just like any other NP, but in the case of (119b), since
both verbs are atransitive, there will be no argument position for it to be
associated with. This should lead to a CC violation, but because it can be a
Figure 48